Updraft
by fififolle
Summary: Critical Mass prequel. KavOC. Kavanagh seems out of sorts back on Earth... Emmy knows he needs to be back in Atlantis, and she pushes him to apply for reassignment.


**Spoilers: Critical Mass**

**Disclaimer:**I do not own these characters. This is written for fun or something. I make no money, etc.

**Summary:** Critical Mass prequel. KavOC. Kavanagh seems out of sorts back on Earth... Emmy knows he needs to be back in Atlantis, and she pushes him to apply for reassignment.

**Author Notes:** In Critical Mass, we learn that a few months after returning to Earth, Kavanagh sent an urgent message to Weir asking for reassignment. Sequel to 'Escape' and before that 'Ticked Off'. Kav mush - Not for the faint-hearted.

* * *

**On Atlantis...**

_Zelenka scratched his head, and looked again at the schematic. He made a low growl in his throat._

_Schenk looked up. "I assume we are far from finished here?"_

_With a murderous look, Zelenka spat, "That is right. We are far from finished here. And __we__ will likely not solve this unless we have a blinding flash of inspiration. So keep working!"_

_Schenk looked down meekly. "I was just saying..."_

"_Yes. You were. So stop talking and think. I would never have had this problem with Kavanagh."_

"_But..."_

"_Shut . Up."_

_A pause. "No 'please'?"_

"_No 'please'," Zelenka growled._

o0o0o0o

**On Earth...**

"You want to know something?" Will sneered.

Dr Bill Lee sighed. "From you, Dr Kavanagh, I'm not always sure."

"Well, let me tell you. This heap of Asgard junk is a complete waste of my precious time and yours."

Bill tumbled the little device over in his hands, and then looked over at Will, who was slipping off his labcoat. "Where are you going?"

Will paused on the threshold of the lab. "I'm going home." He turned, and walked away.

Bill sighed. He replaced the device among the tangle of wires on his desk.

o0o0o0o

"Emmy!" Will called out as he stepped through the front door. "Honey, I'm home!" he called, chuckling to himself.

A muffled voice called from the kitchen. "Through here! And what are you doing back? I cannot believe you got an interface on that holographic device up and running so soon. You haven't lost your magic, Will."

Will stepped up behind her as she continued to chop the vegetables, and wrapped his arms around her waist. "We didn't. I just left." He kissed her neck.

Frowning, Emmy tried to turn to see him. "What are you talking about? Landry needed you to..."

"You think I care what Landry wants?" He reached around, taking the knife out of her hand and laid it down, then leaned down to kiss her. "I had other projects to think about," he said huskily.

Giving into the kiss for a moment, Emmy then pulled back, talking seriously. "That's crazy. If you and Bill can't get that device integrated before Friday..."

Will kissed her again, smiling. "Don't worry. It'll be a cinch. I'll do it tomorrow. I'd had enough, that's all." He let go of her, and headed for the refrigerator. "You're in tomorrow. You can help."

Emmy turned back to her task, and continued to chop with determination. "This isn't right, Will. You used to be so focused. You would never have quit half way through a job." She sighed. "You've been back her ten weeks now, I had hoped..." she ran out of words, and shook her head.

Shutting the refrigerator door, he waved the beer with a dismissive hand. "Maybe I just found something more interesting to do with my life." He leaned in close, moving a lock of her brown hair to place a slow kiss behind her ear. "You beat a hologram any day," he murmured.

She shrugged him off with a worried smile. "Damn it, Will! This is serious." She grabbed the towel and rubbed her hands dry, following him through to the great room, where Will now had his feet up, beer in hand.

He grinned happily at her, and pulled her down to sit next to him. "I am serious. I love you. I have never been happier."

She gave him a tight smile, and rubbed his chest gently, "I know, Will, and I love you too. But you're not completely happy at the SGC, and I think I know why." She paused, and took a deep breath. "Bill says you are even worse than ever."

Sitting bolt upright, Will put his beer down, saying indignantly, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Will, calm down. You know Bill respects your work. But you... intimidate him. And he told me you are even more grouchy than before."

"That's not true!"

Emmy sighed, folding her hands together. "Will, why don't you go back to Atlantis? That's where the real work is for you. Isn't it?"

Will's mouth was open, he didn't speak for a long moment. "Real...? Emmy, I...?"

"Am I right? Please, Will, tell me. If you're not happy at Cheyenne...?"

He grabbed her arm gently. "Does it matter? All I care about is being here, with you."

She held his hands. "I know, Will. But the work on Atlantis is what you need to do. You talk about it all the time."

"I do not."

"Do too."

"I don't want to go back there." His eyes pleaded with her.

"Why not, Will? Because Weir is a human being like you? Because Peter is gone? What do you think he would want you to do?"

He blinked, confused. "What about us? I can't... I can't leave you."

She leaned forward, placing one hand on his cheek. "I have a small confession to make," she whispered.

He stared at her anxiously, "What?"

"Please don't be mad. I took the job on the Daedalus." She kissed his mouth which had dropped open.

"You did_what_?" he hissed, drawing away from her.

""Will, please." She touched his knee. "It was the only way to make you look at what you're doing."

He stood up abruptly, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. "I can't believe this..."

Emmy got up and stood in front of him. "You need Atlantis. And they probably need you."

He humphed. "Oh yeah, sure."

She put her hands on his waist. "Ask to go back. Come with me on the Daedalus. Give it a try."

He sighed, and looked down at her. "You. On the Daedalus?"

"Yes."

"But... space?" he sputtered. "You hate space!"

"Yeah, I know," she shrugged. "I decided it was the only way I could see you when you go back to Atlantis." Her eyes locked with his. "It's where you want to be, Will. Deep down inside."

He embraced her, swaying her gently from side to side. He kissed the top of her head, and said quietly, "You are an underhand slimeball, you know that. And you may be right."

"I guess." She smiled, her head leaning on his chest.

"Can't you transfer to Atlantis?"

"Nothing on the cards right now, sorry. Except _your_ job."

He sighed, and squeezed her close to him. "It might not work out. Weir hates me."

"She doesn't hate you. She probably just likes everyone else more."

He gave a short laugh. "Oh, thanks. I feel so much better."

She pulled out of his embrace. "Just give it a try, Will. I hate to see you so... so _average_. You need to be_more_. Leaving Atlantis, you lost your edge."

He adjusted his glasses with one hand. "You know, I bet Radek needs me..."

She nodded vigorously.

"And it might feel good to work in the city again... See one or two people again..."

"Yes!"

"When does the Daedalus leave?" he asked quietly.

"The fourteenth."

"So soon? This is... I can't believe you did this!" His eyes shone with emotions - elation, fear, anticipation.

She took his hands. "I'll be with you whenever I can. I just want my Will to be the old Will."

He rubbed his thumbs over the backs of her hands, staring down at them. "Will you... Will you promise me everything will be okay?"

She chuckled. "I can't promise anything in our line of work." She looked into his eyes. "Will you go?"

He nodded, and kissed her tenderly, slowly. "Okay. I'll go - if Weir will take me back. And if you promise to mail me every day."

"I promise. Now go and call Bill to apologise while I finish making dinner."

He opened his mouth to protest.

"Tell him we'll be in at 0600 to work on the interface," Emmy insisted.

A broad smile appeared on his face. "Does that mean an early night?"

She nodded, smiling. "I think it does, don't you?"

He grinned, "I'll make the call."

o0o0o0o

**On Atlantis...**

_Chuck appeared at the door to Weir's office. "Ma'am?"_

_Weir looked up, smiling prettily. "Yes, Chuck?" _

"_Uh, I've transferred your new messages to your computer." He shuffled from foot to foot._

"_Thank you, Chuck," she responded, and turned back to the report on her desk. After a moment she stilled, and looked up. "Is there something else, Chuck?"_

_He cleared his throat. "I, uh, couldn't help noticing the subject line of one message, Ma'am."_

"_Yes?" She raised an eyebrow._

"_Well, Ma'am, I know it's not my place to say, but if it's for real, I know Dr Zelenka would want him back, and I think it would be a good idea to take him up on the offer."_

"_Is that so?" Weir racked her brain to figure out who and what this message was._

"_Ah, yes. Ma'am."_

_She sighed. "All right, Chuck. I'll take that into consideration."_

"_Thank you, Ma'am."_

_Before Chuck had crossed the bridge, she had pushed the report aside and opened her laptop. She quickly scanned the new messages. Yes, that had to be it._

_'From: Dr W Kavanagh._

_Subject: Request for Reassignment to Atlantis._

_Urgency: High.'_

_She pinched the brow of her nose and took a deep breath. __Having read the message, she began typing a message to Zelenka, muttering to herself, "Okay, Kavanagh, one last chance."_

* * *

_FIN, or LOL, whatever :P_


End file.
